Laser Light Transformed Into a Supersolid in Groundbreaking Experiment
Physicists have transformed laser light into a supersolid, marking an entirely new process for achieving this mysterious state of matter.
Ryan Whalen
Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.
Discovery of Oldest-Known Impact Crater is Radically Changing Our Understanding of Earth’s Ancient Past
Scientists have identified one of the oldest known impact craters, offering new insights into Earth's formation and early life.
Intuitive Machines Lunar Lander in Trouble as Engineers Rush to Salvage Mission after Moon Landing Mishap
The Intuitive Machines lunar lander is in trouble after a botched landing, with the company rushing find it's condition and orientation.
Paralyzed Man Controls Robotic Arm With His Thoughts in Brain-Computer Interface Breakthrough
A robotic arm commanded by the human brain is allowing a paralyzed man to manipulate his environment with fine control.
Unprecedented Nova Eruption Reveals Extreme Heat and Mysterious Silicon Signature
A shockingly bright Nova explosion occurred right on cue, but its brilliance and strange chemical signature baffled astronomers.
“They’re Enigmas.” Scientists Perplexed by Mysterious Martian Stones That Hint at Possibility of Life
Ancient Mars may have been warmer, wetter, and weirder than expected, according to an discovery made by NASA's Mars Perseverance rover.
1.5-Million-Year-Old “Factory” for Bone Tool Production Reveals Unexpected Cognitive Leap in Early Humans
A prehistoric "factory" discovered in Tanzania pushes human ancestor bone tool-making back by over a million years from earlier estimates.
Is Solar Activity Driving Earthquakes? New Research Suggests a Correlation Between the Sun and Seismic Events
Japanese scientists have discovered new significant correlations between solar activity and earthquakes, according to recent research.
Hydrogen Breakthrough: New Palladium Nanosheet Tech Could Accelerate Green Energy Revolution
Japanese scientist's new hydrogen energy breakthrough replaces expensive platinum, drastically reducing the cost of clean fuel production.
Hidden at the Bottom of a 2,516 Meter Hole in Finland, Scientists Made a Volatile Organic Discovery
Poor air quality markers were discovered in Finland’s Outokumpu drill hole, marking concerns for carbon generation and nuclear waste storage.
Antarctic Ice Loss Could Mean Extreme Slowing of Earth’s Strongest Ocean Current by 2050
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is slowing due to melting Antarctic ice sheets, potentially compounding climate concerns.
Flat is the Future for Optic Lenses, Radically Altering How Telescopes Work
For centuries, the optic lens has bent light through translucent, curved material, but now flat lenses are reimagining the technology.
Lunar Trailblazer and IM-2: NASA’s Latest Missions Target Moon’s Mysterious South Pole
NASA’s latest technology advances are on their way to the Moon, poised to answer lingering questions ahead of the next crewed lunar landing.
Mind-Shattering Discovery Reveals How a Human Brain Turned to Glass in the Ancient Eruption of Mount Vesuvius
An individual who perished in the Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 CE had his brain turned to glass under a unique set of conditions.
Microbial Research Aboard the International Space Station Suggests Astronauts Need to Get Their Hands Dirty
The International Space Station may be too clean for astronauts' own good, allowing hostile microbiota to flourish.
Sustainability Hack for Recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries Makes Mixing Oil And Water a Good Thing
Scientists at the University of Leicester have discovered a new sustainability hack with a simple way to recycle lithium-ion batteries.
Northrop Grumman Equips South Korea with New Helicopter-Mounted Mine Detectors
Northrop Grumman reached a deal with Hanwha this week to provide helicopter-mounted Airborne Laser Mine Detection Systems.
22,000-Year-Old Evidence of Transport Technology Reshapes Our Understanding of the Ancient Americas
Archeologists say they have discovered evidence of 22,000-year-old transport technology used in the ancient Americas.
Was Mars ‘Rusted’ by Water? Scientists Uncover New Clues to the Red Planet’s Iconic Color
Ancient Martian water may have played a crucial role in shaping the Red Planet’s crimson landscape, new findings suggest.
Lost for 3,500 Years, Archaeologists Unearth Long-Missing Tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II
A Pharaoh's tomb belonging to Thutmose II, lost in the depths of the Western Valleys of the Theban Necropolis, has been discovered.
Lockheed Martin’s New Missile Tracking Spacecraft Aim to Defend U.S. Against Foreign Hypersonic Threats
Lockheed Martin spacecraft will support the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, tracking threats in the hypersonic missile arms race.
Shapeshifting Robotics Breakthrough Reveals Adaptive Materials That Morph and Carry Weight
A robotic material inspired by science fiction, able to shapeshift and carry many times its own weight has been brought to fruition.
Meet SOMIRO, the Tiny Aquatic Robot Inspired by Flatworms That May Revolutionize Water Exploration
An aquatic robot that navigates tight, cluttered spaces and pushes objects many times its own weight is setting new performance benchmarks.
Static Electricity Gets a Jolt as Scientists Solve Decades-Old Mystery
New research out of Australia is helping to bring order to the enduring chaos involving static electricity.
China’s Experimental ‘Flying Train’ Edges Closer to Reality—Can Hyperloop Succeed Where Others Failed?
China’s experimental hyperloop T-Flight maglev train is advancing toward making record-breaking transportation speeds a reality.
Survival Secrets of Antarctica’s Largest Land-Dwelling Creature Are Finally Revealed
The hardy Antarctic midge finally reveals some of its survival secrets to Osaka Metropolitan University researchers in a new study.
Biohybrid Hand Uses “Sushi-Like” Bundles of Muscle to Mimic Human Movements
A new artificial biohybrid hand uses "sushi-like" bundles of thin human skeletal muscle fibers to manipulate its soft robotic exoskeleton.
DARPA Seeks Quantum Sensor Breakthroughs for Use on the Battlefield of Tomorrow
DARPA is now launching a new quantum sensor initiative to overcome the operational challenges inhibiting the devices promising potential.
White Dwarf Supernovae May Hold the Key to Dark Energy and Unresolved Cosmic Mysteries
Recent observations of white dwarf explosions have revealed new insights into their diversity and relationship to dark energy.
“Astronomy is Facing an Existential crisis,” Says Researcher Who Solved Radio Telescope Mystery
An American Astronomy team at Brown University found themselves in a mystery when an Australian telescope recorded some perplexing data.
AI Tools are “Far From Neutral,” Say Researchers Who Warn of Chatbot’s Political Biases
AI chatbots display considerable political bias, often favoring left-leaning viewpoints, researchers fear may undermine the fair exchange of information.
High-Energy Detection from Deep in the Ocean Marks “A New Chapter In Neutrino Astronomy”
The most powerful neutrino on record, with help from a deep-sea sensor, has provided the first evidence for high-energy neutrinos.
Centuries-Old Rare Manuscripts Are Revealing the Human Toll of Rapid Climate Change
The “Little Ice Age” comes to life for modern researchers through rare surviving firsthand accounts.
Meteorites Provide Clues to Mystery of Missing Elements on Earth and Mars
New research on meteorites may finally hold the answers to why Earth and Mars suffer from a mysterious absence of specific elements.
Rising Temperatures Could Make One-Third of the Planet Uninhabitable, Alarming New Study Says
Climate change could cause a third of the planet to become inhospitable to vulnerable populations, according to alarming new research.
Researchers Pour Cold Water on Attempts to Detect Aqueous Alien Life on Enceladus as New Difficulties Emerge
New research suggests that Enceladus’ subsurface ocean may trap signs of life in deep layers for thousands of years, making it unlikely that NASA’s planned plume samples will provide clear evidence of extraterrestrial organisms.
Could Microbial Movement Help Scientists Unlock the Mystery of Life on Mars?
Chemotaxis, a process for chemically inducing movement in an organism, may be a crucial tool in the search for extraterrestrial life, German researchers say.
Look: NASA’s High-Tech Radar Captures Escalating Landslide Activity Near Los Angeles
The landslide area in California’s Palos Verdes Peninsula is rapidly expanding due to dramatic weather events, says the NASA data.
Clean Energy Breakthrough: These Tiny Copper ‘Nano-Flowers’ Convert CO₂ Waste into Valuable Hydrocarbons
Scientists have developed copper "nano-flowers" that mimic photosynthesis, offering a new way to transform carbon dioxide into fuel sources.
Online Conspiracies Linked an Iranian Earthquake to a Secret Atomic Bomb Test. These Seismologists Said Otherwise.
Johns Hopkins University Scientists have debunked misinformation claiming that an Iranian earthquake resulted from a secret atomic bomb test.
Bone Powder Unearthed in Ancient Vessels Reveals New Clues About a Mysterious Early Chinese Culture
New research has revealed bone powder was a crucial substance as ancient China's Peiligang culture emerged from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
Cold War Radioactive Dust is Still Circulating in European Air, Alarming New Research Reveals
Radioactive dust left over from Cold War Nuclear experiments is still wafting through European air
New Robotics Inspired by Shrimp and Fleas Use Rubbery Materials to Generate Incredible Power
Shrimp and fleas inspire the latest generation of robotics, using soft, rubbery materials to generate powerful motion.
Newly Discovered Exoplanet Tests The Extremes Of Habitability With Oblong Orbit
An exoplanet super-Earth's unusual orbit through hot and cold conditions tests the limits of tolerability for any known lifeforms.
This Nimble New Drone Can Easily Track Humans Moving Through Dense Terrain
The new SUPER drone can follow a person jogging through the woods, avoid thin obstacles like power lines, and exceed 20 meters per second.
Asteroid Bennu Samples Reveal Big Surprise Involving Building Blocks of Life
NASA scientists discovered a plethora of precursors to life on the asteroid Bennu, demonstrating the importance of Earthbound sample-return missions.
Bird Flu Evolution is Driven by Large-Scale Poultry Vaccinations, New Study Finds
Large-scale poultry vaccinations may be driving bird flu evolution, according to a concerning new international study.
Arctic-Boreal Zone’s Unsettling Transformation into a Carbon Source Signals Dangers of Climate Change
Research is revealing how climate change is driving the Arctic-boreal zone's shift from a carbon sink to a carbon source.
Stretchable Organic Solar Cells Could Power the Future of Wearable Technology
A new stretchable organic solar cell may offer the efficient power source needed for the next generation of wearable devices, according to a team of international researchers.
The X Factor: Study Reveals How Your Mother’s X Chromosome Could Impact Cognitive Health in Aging
New research is offering deeper insights into the role of the active X chromosome and its effects on brain health.